June, 2006

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Hello Heverybody.Well, things got really rushed yesterday, and I didn’t make a last ‘leaving’ post like I normally do and meant to do. Things have been going pretty well, so I’ll give you a quick update:We left yesterday a little late from DFW but arrived on-time in London Gatwick (LGW). We arrived at 7:20 this morning, and got through passport control pretty quickly, actually. My two checked bags (for the rest of the summer) are checked right the way through to Newcastle, so we didn’t have to worry about them. Once officially ‘in’ the UK, AJ and I dropped off our big clunky hiking bags at a left-luggage claim and took a small bag for the day. We hopped onto the South Terminal Train, then the Gatwick Express to Victoria Station, and we were on our way!

From Victoria Station we walked along to Westminister Abbey, the Houses of Parliment, Big Ben, and the Thames bridge. Also saw the London Eye. Then crossed back over the bridge and headed north, seeing Trafalger square and grabbing a quick sandwich from a little cafe. We finally arrived at the British Museum, which was super-interesting. If only we hadn’t been practically dead on our feet! We got to see the bits AJ really wanted to see, but after I fell asleep after just ‘sitting down to rest for a minute.’ AJ made the call that it was time to go. So we got on a bus back to Victoria, during which it was AJ’s turn to doze, while I stayed awake. He slept on the Gatwick Express back, as well, and we picked up our bags and headed through security to the BA Lounge. We’ve been here for about 3 hours, resting, eating, and taking turns dozing. We’ll arrive in Newcastle around 10:30 tonight… Heh. Then it’s up super-early tomorrow for the train to Whitby!

Brief version of our schedule:Wed June 28th WhitbyThurs June 29th YorkFri June 30th YorkSat July 1st Allenheads Sun July 2nd Allenheads/NewcastleMon July 3rd NewcastleTues July 4th Holy IslandWed July 5th Holy Island/Edinburgh/AberdeenThurs July 6th AberdeenFri July 7th Around AberdeenSat July 8th Around AberdeenSun July 9th Around AberdeenMon July 10th AJ Fly Aberdeen -> London Gatwick -> DFW Emma Fly Aberdeen -> Newcastle

I will return the 4th August!

(For those of you who don’t know – Quakecon reg is Wed June 28th, 9pm Eastern Time)

Well, mostly what I’ve been up to is the final preparations for AJ and my trip. I’m excited and happy. I’ve hoped to show people my ‘other life’, and now I’m getting to. I’m a little nervous, I will admit, about missing a train, or not knowing wtf you do in a hostel where I’ll be sharing a room with 9 complete strangers that are female. (I was going to word that ’9 complete female strangers,’ but that’s just…. yea.) Also about general stuff like getting lost and getting stuff stolen (or lost) and lastly about getting caught in the incoming tide while crossing to Holy Island and drowning/freezing in about 10 minutes the icy cold North Sea.

I am planning on taking lots of pictures, and I will hopefully get to share them with you either upon the completion of the trip or my return to the US. Yey! I will probably not get to update much for the next 2 weeks as I won’t have my laptop with me and I can’t say I’ve ever seen an internet cafe in the UK, though I’m sure they’re around somewhere. Anyway, I daresay that updating my blog will be least on my mind during my exciting adventure!

Here is a short to-do list of what I must get done tomorrow. This is as much for my sucky memory as it is to inform you all:- Packing- Get Ziploc, Rice Krispies, and Mentos for dad (yea… weird I know)- Download pictures from camera- Get car serviced- Don’t forget money, Aberdeen key, and map

I am watching so many people’s lives fill out with experiences, hopes, and dreams accomplished. See them flexing their newly-built muscles as their life-plans unfold with opportunities abounding right on schedule. See their lives fleshing out as they make headway right on course to their aspirations.

Unfortunately, my life has developed a fatal strain of leprosy. Every day, bits of it areslowlyfallingoff.

Firstly I got my DS Lite, which is everything I thought it would be and more. It’s beautiful and amazing, and I would recommend it to anyone who is thinking of getting a hand-held gaming thing. I am enjoying New Super Maro Bros very much, though I’m stuck at the mo. I’ve also got Nintendogs, which is ok. The problem is you can only do so many things in a time period, so you can pretty much exhaust your options to leave the house and teach the dog tricks quite quickly, leaving you with the boring option of sitting and ‘petting’ your dog. I also have Brain Age, which I am finding pretty fun. It’s interesting, and it does keep you on your toes. It’s that kind of mental work that just makes your brain work a little, but isn’t like taking an Ochem test. As of right now, my Brain Age is 35 (on day 2). (20 is the goal) It also has a Sudoku option, and through its gentle coaching, I completed (correctly) my first Sudoku puzzle this afternoon! Heh. My only complaint is that there’s one game it does a lot that takes voice interaction, and it cannot understand me when I say ‘blue’, which really messes up my score. Oh well.

Next, AJ arrived! I got to see him, and hear all about Greece. Well ok, not all about, because I’m sure he will think up more things to tell me (and I have yet to see the pictures he kindly took). But it’s been interesting hearing all about Greece and playing four-square in some little town and eating tonnes of ice cream. Also seeing the original Olympic race track, and running on it.

So now, we’ve got to start preparing for our trip to the UK! Oh excitement. But for the moment, I’m going to go bathe in the delicious bright light of my Lite, and then sleep.

Unfortunately I’m in the US, where the World Cup barely exists, though it is the sporting event with the largest world-wide audience. Oh well! Anyway, it’s no fun over here, nobody’s all pumped. Even when I was in the UK two weeks ago the flags were flying and the shirts were flying off the shelves. It’s like Chrismas, but white and navy and red instead of green and red. But the feel in the air is similar. It’s excitement. It’s happy. Anyway, the happy news is that I’ll be in Aberdeen on July 9th, when the final is, so AJ and I can settle down in the living room with some hot chocolate and enjoy that the night before he flys off.

Tomorrow England plays Paraguay! Go England! Yey! Do well!

And here’s a little song, words modified from the last time we sang it… an ungodly quick-passing 10 years ago!

It’s coming homeit’s coming homeIt’s coming!Football’s coming home!

Three lions on our shirts!Jules Rimet still gleaming!40 years of hurt!Never stop our dreaming!

Today is 6-6-06 – AHHH!!! My back account balance is also $666. Not on purpose though. 666 is also in the url of the site you’re reading right now!! 666 was also in my first screen name. 666 is also involved in many other parts of my life. Oh yes. 666 seems to have embodied its way into my life in many ways. Oh well! So far it doesn’t seem to be Armageddon today. I find this happy.

So yesterday I worked all day long to tidy up my room and clear all the junk out. God, I never knew so much could be fit into one small room. Two large bags of trash got thrown out, and more stuff was boxed up and put into the attic. The last stuff is boxed up to be returned to my room.

5 days to AJ! 5 days to the Lite! It’s all comin’ down on the 11th, baby. It’s like 9-11, but upside down. And of course, good things happening instead of bad. It’s 6-11!

Well, yesterday I did it. I pre-ordered my DS Lite!!! I called round lots of GameStops, but none of them could guarantee that I could get a DS Lite on June 11th, part of the first-shipment. They all said I’d have to wait. Well, I don’t do waiting so well, but things were looking not-so-good. Best Buy told me they weren’t doing reserving or pre-ordering, you’d just have to stand and wait. As much fun as that would be, it’s a great way of standing around for 6 hours and getting disappointed. So I was wondering if I should do that or order one off Amazon. Yes, times were desperate.

Then yesterday I innocently went to Taco Bell for lunch, to get my fix, and as returned home, full of tacos and burritos, noticed a GameStop. It’s a small one, one of those little ones, and I thought to myself, “Self, why don’t we check in there?” So I did. And the guy said, “We have not received many pre-orders because we are small, I can guarantee you one on the 11th of June”. And then the other guy said, “I know your sister”. Hopefully further securing the first-guy’s statement. And all were joyous in the Land of Emma!

So yes, I am getting a DS Lite on the 11th of June. This is the first time I have ever bought a gaming console (all two (Gameboy Color and Gamecube) I’ve gotten before were given to me). It is also the first time I have pre-ordered or reserved anything. Oh the innocence of it all! It is a new era for Emma. Yey and verily!

So, if you are wanting a DS Lite and you are having similar problems to what I was having above, comment of IM me and I’ll tell you this rare under-reserved Gamestop that you may visit. If you comment, give me some other way to reach you than commenting back on my site or yours.

I already bought New Super Mario Bros. To stroke for a few days. My precioussss.

I am Emma. I am a dual-citizen: half British and half American - but I was born in Norway. I love potatoes and purple. I'm shy, but not. I work on computers, bikes, and DNA, and I play violin. Here is the story of a transplant from Texas to Scotland...